Vigilante
by Skovko
Summary: Since the Irish moved into town, it has become a very dangerous place to be, especially after nightfall. When Cherri finds herself out at night and decides to take a shortcut through the park, she not only runs into one of the Irish but also one of the underground vigilantes that are trying to take back their town.
1. Sour cherries

She took a deep breath before moving into the park. She knew it was a stupid move to cross the dark park at night but she was more scared to stay on the streets. Since the Irish moved into this town, it had become a very dangerous place to live and an even more dangerous place to be after nightfall.

She jogged through the park, hoping to make it across fast and safe. She cut off two thirds of the time it would take to get home by going through there. Her apartment was literally across the street from the entrance of the park on the other side.

She sighed in relief as the tall, black gate started showing further ahead. She was almost there. Just a few more minutes if she sped up and ran for it. Instead she was surprised when someone moved in on her from behind, placing a knife on her throat and putting a hand over her mouth.

"Ssh, little girl," an Irish accent said right next to her ear. "You got two choices. Live or die. Do you wanna die?"

She shook her head no while tears ran down her face.

"Good girl," he chuckled lowly. "I bet you already know you have to pay taxes for being outside after dark. Drop your trousers."

She moved her hands up but she never got to open her trousers. Another male voice, this one with a Southern accent, cut through the night.

"Let her go!" He demanded.

The Irish man behind her let her go. She turned around slowly to see his red mohawk and beard. She had seen him around town. She knew his name was Sheamus and that he was one of the people ranking high among the Irish.

She moved her eyes to the brown haired man behind Sheamus. She didn't know that man. He had a gun pressed into the back of Sheamus' head. She knew an underground group of vigilantes was slowly rising up and this man had to be part of it.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

He studied the woman with the dark red hair. The moonlight made it light up. The color reminded him of sour cherries. It was the same color as he remembered those cherries to be. He had always preferred the sour ones to the sweet ones.

"Hey, I asked you a question," he said. "Are you alright?"  
"Yeah, yeah," she nodded. "I'm fine. Thank you."  
"Good. Run along now," he said.

She didn't. She stood there staring.

"This isn't gonna be a pretty sight. Turn around and walk away," he said.  
"I don't care," she said.  
"You don't care?" He chuckled. "Well, I'll be damned."  
"I care! When my men hear about this threat, you're a dead man!" Sheamus snarled.  
"Threat?" The man with the gun laughed. "This isn't a threat."

He fired the gun and the woman in front of him jumped in surprised. She didn't look scared though but he still lowered the gun fast, stepped over Sheamus' body and gently grabbed her chin.

"You need to go home," he said. "Where do you live?"  
"Just across the street," she pointed in the direction of the gate.  
"I'll walk you there," he said.

They walked in silence until they reached the gate. There was a street light right outside. The light made him able to see her metallic blue eyes.

"You got a name?" He asked.  
"Cherri," she answered.  
"Of course," he chuckled.

She didn't pronounce it as cherry. More like sherry. But it was still funny to him in that moment because of her hair that reminded him of cherries.

"What's yours?" She asked.  
"AJ," he said without thinking. "Ah, shit. Forget that. Forget I even exist. You weren't here and we never met. Are we clear?"

She stepped closer, moved up on her toes and kissed his bearded cheek.

"Thank you, AJ," she whispered.

She ran across the street and disappeared through a door on the other side. He stood there for five long minutes. He just wanted to make sure that she stayed inside and didn't get into anymore trouble. Finally he heard a dog barking. It brought him back to reality. He moved back into the park to hide in the darkness before anyone saw him.


	2. Evicted

AJ couldn't believe his eyes the next night. He had stayed close to the park, using it as an excuse to keep an eye on her apartment door. He didn't walk into the park. No one did today. Not after the discovery of Sheamus' body.

There was already a promised reward to whoever could bring the person responsible for Sheamus' death. That alone was enough to keep AJ on his toes. Not that they would find him. Only one person knew he was the one behind the kill and he knew she would never tell on him no matter how high the reward was. He had a good feeling about her. She would not sell him out for money.

He was so deep in thought that he jumped in surprise when that dog from last night started barking again. He looked in the direction of the bark. Someone let their dog be outside a night. That wasn't right. Not with how this town had been overrun by the Irish. Human or animal. They didn't care. They destroyed anything they came across. He turned his head around just in time to see Cherri disappear through the gate to the park.

"Really?" He whispered. "You're gonna go in there again after what happened last night? Jesus, woman, what is wrong with you?"

He sprinted to the gate and moved into the park too. Luckily she hadn't gone far. He walked up next to her, grabbed her arm and spun her around.

"Time to go home," he said.  
"I came to see you," she said.  
"I don't care. You're going home again," he said.  
"You can't make me," she said.  
"Watch me," he said.

He never let go of her arm. He forcefully walked her all the way out of the park, across the street and through the door. He looked at the stairs in front of him.

"What floor do you live on?" He asked.  
"Third," she answered.

Still with his hand wrapped around her arm, he walked up the stairs to the third floor. He looked at the doors until he found the one with her name on it. He grabbed the handle and shook his head when he found the door unlocked.

"Really? You don't lock your door? Do you have a death wish?" He asked.  
"It doesn't matter. I'm being evicted," she answered.

He walked her inside her apartment and closed the door. Nothing was packed. She didn't look like someone about to move. There was an eviction note left on the small dresser in the hall to give away the truth though.

"Why?" He asked. "Why did you go out looking for me tonight?"  
"I don't know," she looked nervous. "I thought maybe you could use my help taking down the Irish."  
"Can you fight?" He asked.  
"No," she answered.  
"Fire a gun? Use a knife?" He asked.  
"No," she answered.  
"What good will you be to us then?" He asked.

She seemed to deflate. Her shoulders hung low and she looked defeated.

"I don't know. I thought you could teach me or maybe I could cook for you," she said.  
"Cook? Because men can't cook?" He laughed. "Get out of that sexist mindset."  
"Says the man who won't let a woman join his squad," she fired back.

He stepped closer to her. He placed his hands on her hips and pulled her as close as he could.

"This group is for people that have no one. No friends, no family, no job, nothing. We met online and we formed this group to stop the Irish from destroying our town completely. Maybe we'll succeed, maybe we won't. But at least no one will miss us and mourn our deaths if we fail," he said.  
"What about yourselves?" She challenged. "You've become friends within that group, haven't you? You're not exactly alone anymore."

She had a point. A point that he for some reason hadn't thought about before. She was right. The men he had formed this group with were his friends now. Only one thing he missed these days. A woman in his arms, under him in bed, surrendering to the pleasure he could give.

"Has anyone ever told you how sexy and beautiful you are?" He asked.  
"Not lately," she answered.

He crashed his lips down on hers, kissing her with a mix of anger and passion. He wanted her badly. Her hands found their way under his shirt. Her nails scratched down his back, giving him that pain and pleasure high he had missed for so long. He pushed her up against the wall, still kissing her while pushing her skirt and panties down her legs. She moaned into his mouth as his fingers started dancing on her clit.

"Here or the bedroom?" He asked.  
"Fuck me here!" She whimpered. "Don't make me wait."  
"Take the rest of your clothes off," he said.

He got out of his boots first. His clothes followed fast, undressing while watching her do the same with her top and bra. He grabbed her hips again and grinded his hard dick on her crotch. He ran his hand down her left thigh, hooking her leg up, bending his knees and pushing up inside her.

"Fucking hell, Cherri!" He growled lustfully in her ear. "You're so wet, baby doll."  
"Fuck me, AJ!" She begged. "Hard!"

He did just that. Fucking her as hard as the position allowed him to. He wrapped a hand around her throat, keeping her pinned against the wall. Her nails dug into his chest as she came undone. Her walls caved around him and he continued his thrusts through it. He wasn't done with her yet.

When her body started relaxing, he lifted her up. She locked her legs around his waist as he carried her into the bedroom and laid her down on the bed. His pace changed to a more slow one. His thrusts came deep and hard, constantly making sure she felt all of him by pulling all the way out before slamming back in.

"Please!" She begged in a whisper. "Don't stop!"  
"I'm not gonna stop until you cum again," he promised.

It took a few more minutes but finally she came undone again. She arched her back, pressed her nails into his ass cheeks, shaking and crying out. He came with her, finally feeling completely spent too. He laid still on top of her, leaving raspberry kisses on her skin while reality slowly crept up on him again. He rolled off her and sat up, swinging his legs out on the floor and running a hand through his hair.

"I'm sorry. This shouldn't have happened," he said.  
"It takes two to tango. You didn't force me," she said.  
"But still," he looked over his shoulder at her. "I can't give you anything but this."  
"I'm not asking for more," she said.  
"But you are. You did out in the hall. And I can't give you that," he said.

He stood up and shook his head at his own stupidity. He looked into those dark blue eyes of hers and for a second he felt his heart stop. Those metallic blue eyes were like magnetism to him, pulling him in, making it hard for him to fight back. He had to get out now or he would never be able to.

"Pack your shit and get the hell out of this town fast. This place is not for people like you anymore," he said.  
"People like me?" She frowned. "Do you even know me?"  
"Go live with some relatives or friends until you find somewhere else to live," he said. "I'm sorry, Cherri."

He hurried out in the hall and got back into his clothes. He looked towards the bedroom door but she didn't come out of it. It was better that way. If she was to come out and look at him again with those eyes, he didn't know what he might end up doing. Instead he ran out of her apartment, down the stairs and out on the street. He kept running while hearing that dog barking somewhere in the dark again.


	3. Blue eyes

AJ walked out of his room around noon. He hadn't slept much after leaving Cherri. Most of the night he had laid in bed, staring out in the darkness, thinking about the blue eyed redhead. He hardly knew her, yet it felt like she had already taken all of his heart. He walked out in the kitchen where his friend Shinsuke sat eating lunch.

"You look like shit," Shinsuke said.  
"I feel like it too," AJ said.

He poured a cup of coffee and sat down at the table.

"Is it that girl from the park? You went to see her again last night, didn't you?" Shinsuke asked.  
"Did you hack into the street cameras again?" AJ chuckled.  
"Maybe. No one uses those cameras anymore since the Irish took over. I rewrote the code so only we got access," Shinsuke grinned. "She's really pretty."  
"Pretty? She's fucking beautiful," AJ said.  
"You like her," Shinsuke pointed out the obvious.  
"Yeah, I do," AJ sighed. "But nothing's gonna come of it."  
"Why not?" Shinsuke asked.

AJ opened his mouth, about to give the same reasons he had given her last night, but suddenly everything sounded so stupid inside his head. Shinsuke was right. Why not? There was no rule against bringing women into their group. Someone had to be the first one and it could might as well be Cherri. He just didn't want that life for her. She had a life unlike the people that had come together to form this group.

"They're tearing down the entire building," Shinsuke said.  
"Huh?" AJ left his thoughts. "You looked into her?"  
"Of course," again Shinsuke grinned. "They all got evicted. They're tearing down the building Monday."  
"That's two days away," AJ said.  
"I know," Shinsuke said.  
"She hasn't packed anything. She should have moved by now," AJ said.  
"She has no one. Her parents died in a plane crash when she was 11. Her brother was one of the very first victims of the Irish. She had a hamster at one point. I found pictures on her facebook of it. But that was 5 years ago and hamsters only live to be around 2," Shinsuke said.

AJ shook his head and laughed. Shinsuke always found the weirdest things when he looked into people. Things that didn't matter in the long run but that showed them a bit more about their personality.

"A hamster?" AJ asked.  
"A long haired one. It was named Poro," Shinsuke said. "But you're missing the point here, AJ. She's got no one and nowhere to go."  
"And I told her to pack her shit and leave," AJ sighed. "Great, I'm a fucking idiot."

AJ stood up and moved towards the door.

"I'm gonna run out," he said.  
"Does she like pasta? Because I'm cooking pasta tonight," Shinsuke yelled after him.

AJ drove to her street. At night he never took the car since he had to move around silently. The town was a bit more safe in daylight. He parked and exited the car. He jumped in surprise when that familiar bark came right from behind him. He turned around and saw a beautiful husky with blue eyes. He laughed at the irony of seeing blue eyes everywhere these days.

"Hi, buddy. Are you lost?" He asked.

He went down on one knee. The dog moved right up to him and started licking his face. He laughed while he ran his fingers through the dog's fur to find the collar.

"No collar, huh? Someone didn't want you anymore?" He asked. "Guess you're my dog now. If you're not down with that, you can run away right now."

He stood up but the dog stayed by his side. He opened the door to his back seat and the dog jumped in immediately.

"I guess I own a dog now," he chuckled. "Stay here, buddy. I'm gonna go pick up my girl too."

He closed the door to the back seat. The dog laid down without a care. He moved from the car and into the apartment complex. He walked up to the third floor, once again finding her front door unlocked. He walked in and was surprised to find bags packed in the hall. She came walking out of the bedroom, looking just as surprised as him.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.  
"I came for you," he said.  
"I'm not in the mood for sex right now. As you can see, I'm kinda busy. Someone told me to get the hell out of this town and I'm taking his advice," she said.  
"Well, he was an idiot for telling you that," he said.

He walked over to her, wrapped his arms around her, pulled her in and kissed her softly.

"I'm an idiot," he said.  
"You can say that again," she said.  
"I'm an idiot," he chuckled. "Where are you planning on going?"  
"I have no idea. I have two days to figure out something. I figured that maybe packing my shit would give me some sort of idea but I still got nothing. I don't even have a car to transport my things in. I packed the most important things in the black bag so I guess I'll just be taking that and trying my luck with walking or hitchhiking," she said.  
"No!" He said firmly.  
"No?" She questioned.

He kissed her again, more aggressive this time. He broke the kiss and looked into her eyes.

"Your eyes alone suck me in and make me fall in love," he said.  
"Is that a good thing?" She asked.  
"I hope so," he answered. "I got a car waiting downstairs. If you're down for giving this a try, let's load your shit in that. Come with me. I'll personally teach you how to use a gun."  
"I'm down," she broke out in a wide smile. "Will I be cooking too?"  
"No, I think Shinsuke will be very upset if anyone tries to take his spot in the kitchen. Cooking relaxes him. He's making pasta tonight, by the way," he said.  
"I love pasta," she said.

He picked up her bags and nodded his head towards the door. She opened it for him and they walked down the stairs together. They walked over to the car and she looked in at the dog in the back seat that was wagging its tail at the sight of them.

"You got a dog?" She asked.  
"Apparently I do," he answered. "Just got it today."

They got into the car. She turned around in the passenger seat to pat the dog. In return she got her hand licked.

"What's his name?" She asked.  
"It's a he?" He looked at the dog. "Oh, hadn't noticed. Sorry, buddy, I was too busy looking for your collar."  
"So no name?" She asked.  
"How about Roman?" He shrugged.  
"It's perfect," she said.


End file.
